American Airlines expands tech to Curb 'Gate Lice' across 100+ US airports

New software blocks boarding passes before group is called, alerting gate agents if passengers break protocol

American Airlines has announced the expansion of its new boarding technology to manage “gate lice”—eager passengers who queue at the gate before their boarding group is called. More than 100 airports across the United States will deploy the technology during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas travel periods, following successful trials last month in Albuquerque, Washington, and Tucson.

The software prevents early boarders from scanning their passes before their group number is called, emitting an audible alert to notify gate agents if anyone attempts to bypass boarding protocol. A message also appears on the screen for airline staff, allowing them to direct overly eager passengers to wait until their boarding group is called.

For passengers traveling with a companion in an earlier boarding group, the gate agent can override the alert to permit boarding.

Feedback from the trials indicates the system not only reduces pre-boarding congestion but also helps pace the boarding process and provides better insight into the arrival times of connecting flights, according to American Airlines. Major airports such as Austin-Bergstrom International and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International are among those introducing the system to curb gate queue-jumping.

Julie Rath, American Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Airport Operations, noted, “We’ve heard from our customers that the ability to board with their assigned group is important to them because it’s a benefit associated with their AAdvantage status or fare purchase. The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations, so we are thrilled to leverage this technology to deliver for them ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.”

American Airlines’ boarding priority is based on various factors, including ticket type and AAdvantage membership status.